The present invention relates to a lock mechanism comprising a lock member which is normally held in an engaged position to be magnetically operated from said engaged position to a disengaged position.
The lock mechanism of the invention has been developed particularly for a safety device for boxes for compact discs, which is used in the retail trade for blocking the box so that it cannot be opened easily for theft of the compact disc, or such theft in any case cannot take place without considerable difficulties. In one safety device which has appeared on the market in order to protect boxes for compact discs the lock mechanism is of the type referred to and comprises a metal pin guided for reciprocating movement and biassed to the engaged position by a helical spring said pin being provided with a metal head which is attracted by a magnet when it is desired to disengage the lock mechanism. In the engaged position the pin engages an aperture provided in one of the narrow sides of the box. This prior art lock mechanism is safe and reliable, but it is rather expensive in manufacture.
In the compact disc retail trade there is a desire of minimizing the costs and efforts for protecting the compact discs against theft, and accordingly there is a demand for cheap protecting devices, which are easy to handle in the retail store and provide an acceptable protection of the compact discs, which means that there is a demand for a cheap and effective lock mechanism for use with such protecting devices.